Ur-Namma

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1. mu ur-^dnamma lugal : Year: "Ur-Namma (is) King"

• unattested

b. mu ur-^dnamma lugal-e sig-ta igi-nim-še₃ giri₃ si bi₂-sa₂-a : Year: "Ur-Namma, the king, straightened out the road from the south to the north"

• Identified as year h in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 14).
• RTC 261 (Girsu) rev. 2.14: mu# ur-{d}namma lugal-e# sig-ta igi-nim-sze3 giri3# si bi2-sa2-a
• RTC 262 (Girsu) rev. 2: mu ur-{d}namma lugal-e sig-ta igi-nim-sze3 giri3 si bi-sa2-a
• RTC 263 (Girsu) rev. 4: mu ur-{d}namma lugal-e sig-ta igi-nim-sze3 giri3 si bi2-sa2-a
• MVN 7, 380 (Girsu) rev. 9: mu ur-{d}namma lugal-e [sig-ta igi-nim]-sze3 giri3 si bi2-[sa2-a]
• BM 28770 (Girsu): mu lugal-e gìr si bi-sá-a
• BM 28688 (Girsu): mu lugal-e gìr si-bí-sá

click here for CDLI entries dated to Ur-Namma b

c. mu ur-{d}namma nig₂-si-sa₂ kalam-ma mu-ni-gar : Year: "Ur-Namma declared an amnesty (misharum) in the land"

• Identified as year h/ii in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 16)
• unattested

d. mu en-^dinanna unu^ki-a dumu ur-^dnamma lugal-a maš-e ba-pa₃-da Year: "The en-priest of Inanna, a child of Ur-Namma, the king, was chosen by extispicy"

• Identified as year i in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 16)
• RTC 264 (Girsu) rev. 2.6: mu en {d}inanna unu{ki}-a dumu ur-{d}namma lugal-a masz-e ba-pa3-da-sze3#

click here for CDLI entries dated to Ur-Namma d

e. mu bad₃ uri₂^ki ba-du₃-a : Year: "The wall of Ur was built"

• Identified as year p in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 19)
• RTC 269 (Girsu) rev. 4: mu bad3 uri5{ki} ba-du3-a
• MVN 6, 518 (Girsu) rev. 11: mu bad3 uri5#[{ki}] ba-du3

click here for CDLI entries dated to Ur-Namma e

f. mu lugal-e nibru^ki-ta nam-lugal šu ba-ti-a : Year: "The king received kingship from Nippur"

• Also identified as year f in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 12)
• unattested

g. mu e₂ ^dnanna ba-du₃-a Year: "The temple of Nanna was built"

• Also identified as year g in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 14)
• unattested

h. mu en ^dnanna maš-e ba-pa₃-da : Year: "The en-priestess of Nanna was chosen by extispicy"

• Identified as year b in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 10)
• unattested.
• Note the similarity between this year name and the abbreviation frequently used for SH 43: mu en {d}nanna masz-e i3-pa3

i. mu i₇-a-^dnin-tu ba-al : Year: "The 'A-Nintu' canal was dug"

• Identified as year q in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 19)
• RTC 232 (Girsu) rev. 2.1: [mu i7 a {d}]nin#-tu# [ba-ba-al]-la#?
• RTC 270 (Girsu) rev. 6: mu i7 a-{d}nin-tu ba-al
• MVN 7, 459 (Girsu) rev. 8 : mu i7 a-{d}nin-tu ba-al
• ITT 5, 6708 (Girsu) rev. 5 : mu i7 a-{d}nin-tu
• BPOA 1, 117 (Girsu) rev. 1: mu i7 {d}nin-tu ba-ba-al

click here for CDLI entries dated to Ur-Namma i

j. mu nin-dingir ^diškur maš-e pa₃-da Year: "The nin-dingir-priestess of Ishkur was chosen by extispicy

• Identified as year n in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 18)
• RTC 257 (Girsu) rev. 2: mu nin-dingir {d}iszkur masz-e ba-pa3-da
• MVN 7, 170 (Girsu) rev. 1 : mu nin-dingir {d}iszkur masz-e pa3-da
• JANES 18, 48 22 (Nippur) rev. 3: mu nin-dingir {d}iszkur masz2-e i3-pa3
• AOAT 25, p. 81, 10 (Girsu) rev. 4: mu nin-dingir {d}#[iszkur] masz2-e ba-pa3-da

Sigrist & Damerow attribute very similar year names to Ur-Ningirsu year (ca) and to Ur-Namma year (j) and these tablets could belong to either.

Muazzez Çig (AOAT 25, p. 78) suggests the possibility of reading AOAT 25, p. 78 10, rev.3-4 as ur-a[b-ba] ensi2. If this is correct then the year name on this tablet is more likely to correspond to Ur-Namma rather than Ur-Ningirsu.

click here for CDLI entries dated to Ur-Namma j

k. mu gu-ti-um^ki ba-hul : Year: "The land of Guti was destroyed"

• Identified as year d in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 11)
• unattested

l. mu e₂ ^dnin-sun₂ uri₂^ki-a ba-du₃-a : Year: "The temple of Ninsun was built in Ur"

• Identified as year k in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 17)
• RTC 265 (Girsu) rev. 3.7: [mu e2] {d}nin#-sun2 [uri5{ki}]-ma# ba-du3-a

click here for CDLI entries dated to Ur-Namma l

m. mu e₂ ^den-lil₂-la₂ ba-du₃-a : Year: "The temple of Enlil was built"

• Identified as year l in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 17)
• unattested

But note,

• UNT 101 (Girsu) rev. 5: mu us2-sa e2 {d}en-lil2-la2 si sa2-a
• NFT p. 185, AO 4305 (Girsu) rev. 6: mu us2-sa e2 {d}en-lil2-la2 si-sa2

This year-name is not listed by Sigrist & Damerow. See NFT p. 183 and UNT p. 274 for brief discussion.

n. mu i₇-en-erin₂-nun ba-ba-al-la : Year: "The Iturungal canal was dug"

• Identified as year m in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 17-18) with a discussion on the name of the canal.
• NFT p. 185, AO 4308 (Girsu) rev. 3: mu# i7 en-sig-nun [ba-ba]-al

click here for CDLI entries dated to Ur-Namma n

o. mu ^gešgigir ^dnin-lil₂ ba-dim₂-ma : Year: "The chariot of Ninlil was made"

• Identified as year j in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 17)
• RTC 266 (Girsu) rev. 10: mu {gesz}gigir {d}nin-lil2 ba-dim2-ma
• MVN 6, 515 (Girsu) rev. 7: mu {gesz}gigir# [{d}nin-lil2 …] ba-[dim2-ma]
• MVN 6, 517 (Girsu) rev. 13: mu {gesz}gigir {d}nin-lil2 ba-dim2-ma
• MVN 6, 521 (Girsu) rev. 11: mu {gesz}gigir {d}nin-lil2 ba-dim2-ma

click here for CDLI entries dated to Ur-Namma o

p. mu ^dlugal-ba-gara₂ e₂-a-na ku₄-ra : Year: "The god Lugal-bagara was brought into his temple"

• Identified as year Šulgi 12b in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 99); see Carroué ZA 90 (2000) pp. 161-193
• MVN 15, 125 (Girsu) rev. 3: mu lugal ba!-gara2 e2-a ba!-ku4
• ASJ 2, 7 10 (Girsu) rev. 3: mu {d}lugal-ba-gara2
• BM Messenger 206 (Girsu) rev. 5: mu lugal-ba-gara2
• USC 6597 (unclear) rev. 2: mu {d}lugal-ba-gara2# [e2-a ba-an-ku4?]
• ANM 3707 (Girsu) rev. 1: mu {d}lugal-ba-gara2 e2-a ba-an-kux(KWU147)
• LB 261: mu {d}lugal-ba-gara2 = ?
• ZA 90, 167, AO 7872 (Girsu) rev. 5: mu {d}lugal-ba-gara2
• ZA 90, 169, AO 29700 (Girsu) rev. 1-2: mu {d}nin-gir2-su e2-ba-gara2 ku4-ra
• Studi Mayer 62 (rev. 2): mu {d}lugal-ba-gara2 e2-a ba-ku4?

click here for CDLI entries dated to Ur-Namma p

q. mu ^dlugal-ba-gara₂ e₂-a ku₄-ra us₂-sa : Year after: "The god Lugal-bagara was brought into the temple"

• Identified as year Šulgi 13b in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 100); see Carroué ZA 90 (2000) pp. 161-193
• UET 3, 291 (Ur) rev. 5: mu {d}lugal-ba-gara2 e2-a ku4-ra us2-sa

click here for CDLI entries dated to Ur-Namma q

Only the first year name can be securely assigned to a particular year in Ur-Namma's reign, namely his first year. The use of letters rather than numbers for the rest of the year names indicates that they correct sequence is unknown.

(return to Rulers of Mesopotamia)

• Frayne, Douglas. 1997. Ur III Period (2112-2004 BC). The Royal Inscriptions of Mespotamia, Early Periods. Vol. 3/2. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
• Frayne, Douglas. 1981. The Historical Correlations of the Sumerian Royal Hymns (2400-1900 B.C.). Ph.D. dissertation, Yale University. (See, in particular, pp. 72-138)
• Kraus, F.R. 1951. Zur Chronologie der Könige Ur-Nammu und Šulgi von Ur. OrNS 20, 385-398.
• Sollberger, E. 1954-1956. Sur la chronologie des rois d'Ur et quelques problèmes connexes. AfO 17, 10-14.